Animal-trap.



H. H. HERRING.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1913.

1,988,988. Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

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H. H. HBRRING.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1913. 1,088,988a Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

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TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. HERRING, OF ATASCOSA, TEXAS.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

LUJSELQSS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY H. HERRING, acitizen of the United States, residing at Atascosa, in the county ofBexar and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements inAnimal-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved animal trap which may be made of anysuitable size and adapted for trapping all kinds of animals, which maybe attracted by bait, the invention consisting in the construction,combi nation and arrangement of devices hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a plan of an animal trapconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line a-a ofFig. 1, and showing the trap door open. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview of the same on the plane indicated by the line 12-6 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a detail elevation on a larger scale of the means for supportin andfor releasing the door. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing thelower portion of the wall embedded in the earth.

In accordance with my invention, I provide an inclosure 1, the wall 2 ofwhich is here shown as circular and comprising a wire mesh fabric 3 andsuitably spaced posts 4. The posts incline inwardly and terminate shortof the upper edge or side of the wire mesh fabric. The wire fabric isplaced on the inner sides of the posts and the lower portion of thisfabric is turned inwardly from the posts and bears on and is secured tothe ground, to prevent an animal in the trap from digging out under thewall and so escaping.

In practice, in traps of sufficient size to trap such animals as wildcats and wolves, the said wire fabric extends usually about two feetabove the tops of the posts to prevent animals from climbing up theposts and over the wall in an effort to escape from the trap. In thecenter of the trap is a bait cage 5 the wall and cover of which are alsopreferably made of wire mesh fabric and in this bait trap live bait suchas chickens, or the like may be placed.

The trap is provided with at least one inlet 6, which I call a chute. Inpractice, there may be any suitable number of these chutes, arrangedradially. Posts 7 are at the sides of the chute at its outer end andposts 8 are Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 23, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.. Serial No. 780,737.

at the sides of the chute at its inner end, the walls 9 of the chutebeing also preferably made of wire mesh fabric. The posts 8 are providedon their inner sides at a suitable distance from their upper ends withstops or recesses 10 which, in practice, may be formed by drivingstaples of suitable size, fiat side up, in the said posts.

The chute is provided with a trap door 11 which is here shown ascomprising a frame 12 covered with wire mesh material 13, the size ofthe said trap door correspond ing substantially with the longitudinaland transverse dimensions of the chute so that the door is arranged tobe hung in the chute and to open or close the same. At its outer end thetrap door projects beyond the posts 7 a suitable distance, and hinges 14are em ployed to connect the door to said posts so that the door may beraised and lowered. On the projecting outer end of the gate are suitableweights 18 which tend to partly counter-balance the gate but are not ofsufficient weight to raise the inner end thereof. The posts areconnected at their upper ends by a cross bar 19 and the said cross baris connected by wire mesh fabric 20 to the hinged or outer end of thegate so that when the latter is in closed osition, the fabric 20 formsan inclosed wall between the walls 9 and prevents animals from runningup on the gate and out through the chute and, hence, escaping from thetrap by such means. The chute may, however, if preferred, be providedwith a covering or roof of wire mesh or other suitable fabric ormaterial, for this purpose.

A supporting bar 21 is provided to support the gate in raised openposition, the supporting bar being adapted to be placed on the rests 10on the inner sides of the posts 8.

Opposite and spaced from the inner end of the chute is a post 23 whichhas a supporting shoulder or device 24 on the side opposed to the chuteat a suitable distance from its lower end and is provided near its upperend with a ring 25 or other suitable guide. At a suitable distance fromthe post is a vertical standard 26, the upper end of which is pointed asat 27. In connection with this standard I employ a releasing bar 28which has a notch 29 at a suitable distance from its upper end adaptedto be engaged by the point 27 of the standard and has its lower endbeveled and pointed as at 30. I also provide a trigger bar 31 which hasa notch 32 in one side adapted to engage the standard and is providednear one end with a notch 33 on its upper side adapted to be engaged bythe pointed end of the releasing bar 28, the extended end of the triggerbar on the same side of the standard as the releasing bar 28 beingadapted to hold a suitable bait here indicated at 34.

A weight is provided to trip the supporting bar 21 and permit the trapdoor to fall. This weight is connected to the supporting bar by a cord36 which passes through the guide 25 and when the trap is set the weightrest-s partly on the shoulder 24: of the post 23 and partly on the upperend or arm of the releasing bar 28, the pressure of the said weight onthe said releasing bar holding the latter in engaged position withrespect to the standard 26 and said releasing arm exerting such outwardpres sure or tension on the trigger bar 31 as to keep the latter withits notch 32 engaged by the said standard so that the trigger bar isheld by the weight and by the standard and releasing bar in normalhorizontal set position, as indicated in Fig; 4.

hen an animal enters the trap through the chute and under the gate andbrushes against the trigger bar 31 or bites the bait 34: thereon, suchmovement causes the trigger bar to unship or disengage its notch 32 fromthe standard 26, and thereupon the pressure of the weight on this bar 28throws the trigger bar with its bait away from the posts and releasesthe bar 28, and the weight 35 is caused to drop from said bar 28 andsupporting shoulder 24 and to jerk the cord 36 and, hence, cause thesaid cord to pull the supporting bar 21 from under the free end of thegate and 0E the rests 10 of the posts 8, thus causing the gate to dropto an inclined closed position, as will be understood.

There the trap is of such dimensions as to be provided with a pluralityof entrance chutes and trap doors, the supporting bar of each trap doorwill be connected by a cord to the weight 35 so that when the weightdrops it will simultaneously release all of the trap doors and thusclose all exits from the trap.

I claim A trap of the class described having a wall provided with anentrance chute extending inwardly into the trap, said chute having postsat the inner ends of its side walls and stops at elevated points on saidposts, a trap door hingedly connected near one end to a cross bar at theouter end of the entrance chute, the said door being adapted to closedownwardly and lie in an inclined position in the chute, a supportingbar for the trap door, to lie in the stops of the posts and to supportthe door in elevated, open position, a weight, a cord connecting thesaid weight to the supporting bar, means including a releasing elementto support the said weight in elevated position and a trigger to holdthe releasing elementin set up position and to release said releasingelement and cause the weight to drop when the trigger is moved.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY H. HER-RING.

Witnesses LAURA BY\VATERS, E. R. VVIsDoM.

0091:! of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Yatents, Washington, I). G."

